10.Invited – Imaging with X-ray scattering contrast for the characterization of hierarchical material structure
Microscopy in scanning mode allows to image different contrasts from the sample, by probing not only absorption and phase contrast of the sample but for example a full X-ray fluorescence spectrum or a 2D scattering pattern. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) imaging is in particular valuable for heterogeneous samples, in which structural elements in […]
10.Keynote – Synchrotron-Enabled Nanocellulose Research: from Basic Science to New Circular Solutions for Improving Water-Food-Infrastructural Nexus
The Hsiao group at Stony Brook has been using a wide range of synchrotron X-ray scattering and spectroscopic techniques to investigate many fundamental aspects of nanocellulose, the nanoscale aggregate of elementary cellulose microfibril (the building block of plant cells). The investigated topics included: (i) the cross-sectional shape and dimensions as well as the aggregation behavior […]
12.Keynote – Directed evolution of material-producing bacteria
Engineers often use high temperatures, pressures and polluting chemicals to make synthetic materials. By contrast, biology produces remarkable materials like wood and bone using widely available chemical resources in water and at ambient temperature. The ability of organisms to create materials under such mild processing conditions relies on the intricate biological machinery of living cells. […]
12.Invited – Biocatalytic production of solar chemicals and fuels by photosynthetic cell factories
Photosynthetic organisms convert sunlight, CO₂, water, and mineral nutrients into energy-rich organic compounds and oxygen, forming the foundation of life on Earth. Beyond their natural role, algae and cyanobacteria can be harnessed for the sustainable production of valuable biochemicals. These organisms can host synthetic metabolic pathways and enzymes, enabling them to act as microbial cell […]
8.Keynote – Hydration solids: Properties of biological matter derive simply and predictably from the physics of water
Water has a substantial impact on the properties of most types of biological matter, but this impact is viewed as a perturbation rather than being foundational to the material. We recently introduced a theory that argues water gives biological matter its most basic properties (1). In this new picture, water is not a modifier of […]
8.Invited – Tailoring Nanocellulose Performance and Water Interactions through New Surface Modification Routes
By learning from nature and using bio-based building blocks we can engineer sustainable high-performance materials with improved functionality. However, the surface chemistry of nanocellulose must be well understood and controlled in order to optimize the interactions with liquids, ionic species and polymers. Water interactions play a crucial role in the processability and applicability of natural […]
9.Keynote – Solution-state NMR analysis of crystalline cellulosics
Solution-state NMR, requiring close to isotropic mobility in solution, has traditionally been challanging for technical celluloses and often chemically modified cellulosics. While chemically modified cellulosics are often soluble in molecular solvents, those materials that include blocks of unmodified chains are typically not mobile enough in solution to afford sufficient relaxation times to allow for rapid […]
9.Invited – Supramolecular structure of isolated cellulose I according to CP/MAS 13C-NMR
Supercapacitors employing electrochemical double layer capacitance (EDLC) for charge storage require electrode materials with high specific surface areas and narrow, nanoscale pore size distributions.[1,2] Activated carbons, which are cost-effective to produce and have the necessary surface area and pore geometries, are often used for this purpose.[2] Abundant biopolymers such as cellulose are interesting sources for […]
10.4 Scattering Studies of Wood-Based, Hybrid Materials and their Constituents
The macroscopic properties, e.g. mechanical, of wood-based materials depends on their molecular and nanoscale structure. For example, the deformation of wood cells can be directly related to their hierarchical architecture and to a stick–slip mechanism at the molecular and nanometer scale [1]. Observing the length scales up to micrometer is necessary to understand the wood-based […]
9.2 Machine learning-assisted near infrared spectroscopy for non-destructive monitoring of cellulose pulp extractives
Extractives are various low molar mass compounds found in plants, their main role is to protect against oxidation, microbial attack and adverse weather conditions. Some types of extractives can be a source of process and quality issues followed by financial losses in the pulp and paper industry. Ideally, the extractive content in the pulps should […]
